Las Vegas began its reign as the self-appointed Wedding Capital of the World in the 1930s when Nevada passed a law eliminating residency requirements and wait periods before issuing a marriage license. Nowadays, the city hosts more than 100,000 weddings a year. Since it's state law that allows the quickie wedding to bloom in the desert, don't forget to check out the rest of the state of Nevada in your quest for the perfect wedding destination.

Hotel Chapels

The majority of Las Vegas wedding chapels are housed in hotels -- many hotels such as the Bellagio (bellagio.com) and the Wynn (wynnlasvegas.com) play host to more than one chapel. One advantage of using a hotel wedding chapel is that you can combine your wedding and honeymoon in one venue, and hotels often offer discounts if you do. Top hotel chapel options include Chapel in the Clouds at the Stratosphere (chapelintheclouds.com), which offers spectacular views from more than 1,000 feet in the air. The Princess Chapel at the Clarion Hotel (clarionhotelvegas.com) provides limousine service on its way to fulfilling a bride's ultimate princess wedding fantasy.

Stand-Alone Chapels

The big advantage of stand-alone chapels is that they tend to cost less to rent than hotel chapels. There's also a whiff of nostalgia around these chapels, many of which have stood for years. You can't beat their total dedication to one small slice of the Vegas experience -- meaning you'll have a staff dedicated solely to making your special day extra special. Wee Kirk o' the Heathers (weekirk.com) opened on the strip in 1940, which makes it the oldest standing chapel in Vegas, but there's nothing kitsch here -- if you skip the Elvis package, at least. You can spot Wee Kirk's landmark spire in movies such as "Fools Rush In." Chapel of the Flowers (littlechapel.com) has won numerous awards, including kudos as Best Wedding Chapel from "Las Vegas Review Journal" in 2010, 2011 and 2012. It has three lovingly-appointed indoor rooms, and an outdoor area with a waterfall and gazebo available to soon-to-be-married couples. Victoria's Wedding Chapel (avictorias.com) is a newcomer to the stand-alone chapel scene, and offers spacious settings both indoors and out, and a dedication to class and elegance.

Drive-Through Chapels

For a truly unique Las Vegas wedding experience, try a drive-through wedding. The most famous drive-through chapel also is the original drive-through: the Tunnel of Love at Little White Wedding Chapel (alittlewhitechapel.com). The Tunnel of Love sports a canopy decorated with cherubs cavorting in the night sky. Another drive-through chapel can be found at A Special Memory (aspecialmemory.com), which offers limousine service for an extra-posh drive-through experience.

Unique Chapels

What would a Vegas wedding be without Elvis -- or at least a stand-in impersonator? Several chapels around town offer an Elvis on staff, but you can get the full wraparound experience at Graceland Wedding Chapel (gracelandchapel.com); you can even have two Elvises serenade you at your ceremony here. Other one-of-a-kind -- and over-the-top -- theme weddings are available all over town. At the Venetian (venetian.com), you can get married in a gondola, and at Treasure Island (treasureisland.com), you can get married aboard a replica tall ship, which is perfect for all your pirate wedding plans.

Wedding Chapels Outside Vegas

If the Las Vegas scene is too much for you, look outside the city limits for some hidden wedding chapel gems. Reno hosts several chapels worth a look, including Arch of Reno (archofreno.com), voted Best Wedding Chapel in Northern Nevada by "Nevada" magazine. Arch of Reno offers complimentary limousine service as well as military discounts. Chapel of the Bells (renochapel.com) is Reno's most venerable wedding chapel, housed in a converted residential home for extra coziness. Just across the state line from California at Lake Tahoe, Harvey's (harveystahoeweddings.com) offers spectacular natural scenery on view through the 18-foot windows that line the wall of the resort chapel.

About the Author

Lori A. Selke has been a professional writer and editor for more than 15 years, touching on topics ranging from LGBT issues to sexuality and sexual health, parenting, alternative health, travel, and food and cooking. Her work has appeared in Curve Magazine, Girlfriends, Libido, The Children's Advocate, Decider.com, The SF Weekly, EthicalFoods.com and GoMag.com.